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will be named on you, and know of you, when it is hardly known that there was such as me in the family."

To do old Scotos justice, he was willing to come into any reasonable arrangement; but the fates or mismanagement had so willed that what Mrs Macdonell feared should take place.

Mrs Macdonell removed to Banff, and though in straitened circumstances for some time, and having the misfortune of losing her second son, William, who became an assistant surgeon of the 19th Foot in 1811, she lived long enough to see her only daughter, Helen Grant, well married, and her eldest son, Eneas, holding positions of honour and trust in India.

Eneas Scotos was succeeded by his eldest son, Eneas Ranald Macdonell, seventh and last laird of Scotos, born at Scotos House on 19th December, 1789.

In 1794, being then five years of age, he was infeft in the estate on a precept by Glengarry, with consent of his curators, dated 9th April of that year.

It is known that boys, indeed children, by influence and patronage in those days got commissions, and drew pay. When the Glengarry regiment was embodied in 1794, in which old Ranald Scotos had a lieutenant's commission, as before mentioned, young Eneas Ranald, then five years old, got an ensign's commission, and drew pay.

In 1796 a peremptory order having been issued that all officers must join their regiments, Mrs Macdonell and her son presented a petition to the Commander-in-Chief, narrating

"In the year 1794 Glengarry received a letter of service to raise a regiment of fencibles, wherein the memorialist, Ann Macdonell, her brother, Captain Simon Fraser, and uncle, Captain Archibald Fraser, obtained Companies, and several of the memorialists' more distant relations obtained ensigncies and lieutenantcies. That on this occasion Glengarry, knowing her situation, and her husband's services, and on account of the many relations she had in the regiment, gave an ensigncy to her eldest son, Eneas R. Macdonell, the other memorialist, a young man at his education, the pay of which is the only support she and her other children have. He has since remained in the regiment, none of the subaltern officers complaining of his absence. Of late he has been required to join, which his state of health does not at present admit of.

"The memorialists make this humble application to His Royal Highness, imploring that, on account of their husband and father's services, and of their own destitute situation, the said Eneas R.

Macdonell will be allowed to remain at his education for a year, against which time he will use every exertion to join his regiment.’

The boy got some extension, but ultimately joined, as appears by a letter of his grandfather's in 1800 from Galway, wherein he says, "Angus, poor fellow, behaves well," and he continued in the service until the regiment was disbanded. The first family to take up Mr Charles Grant in his design on the representation of the county, at the beginning of the century, was that of Glenmoriston. Eneas Ronald Scotos was their near relative, and influence was brought to bear in his favour with success. For some reason (could it have been because Scotos was a Catholic?) Mr Grant did not wish that his intervention should be made public.

Culbokie, writing to a friend from Edinburgh on 17th July, 1807, says "Angus Scotos is off this day at three o'clock in the mail coach, for his destination. Mr Charles Grant has behaved very handsomely, as well with regard to the manner as the fact of Angus's appointment; but he insists it shall be secret, so let it not come from us. I did not allow him to call on the Grants (James Grant, W.S.), or anyone here, for fear of discovery." He sailed for India in September, 1807, as appears from a document signed by him on the 14th of that month at Portsmouth, prior to embarkation. Though the debts were pressing, the whole were not serious, not exceeding £5000, independent of annuities of £150 to old Scotos and £50 to the young widow. Some of the heritable creditors, such as Glenalladale and Strathaird, would not have pushed matters to an extreme had their interests been regularly paid. It has been noted that the rental had increased six-fold between 1771 and 1795, and in the proceedings for a judicial sale in 1802, it was sworn that the rent when again let, might reach £500, if not £600 a year. There were numerous substantial friends who might have interfered to save the estate without running any personal risk, as is clear when it is stated that the estate actually realised, at a public sale in Edinburgh on 6th July, 1803, over sixteen thousand pounds. The upset price fixed by the Court was no less than £15,390 5s 7d (and which even at the last hour should have opened the eyes of the friends of the family), and after competition, was knocked down for behoof of Grant of Glenmoriston, who no sooner had it than he became involved in serious questions of marches with Glengarry, and these ended some 15 years later in the acquisition of the Scotos estate by Glengarry. By Whitsunday, 1804, the connection of Eneas Ronald Macdonell and his family with Scotos ceased, and the lands since 1818 or so have been re-incorporated with Knoydart.

There are several of Eneas Ranald's letters from India, all showing an affectionate and cheerful nature. He had the desire and ability to recover the estate at an early period of his career, and applied to Glengarry, but on the authority of one who was so informed by Scotos himself, Glengarry never answered his proposal. That Glengarry, who had begun to feel the pinch of incumbrances, all created by himself, was not unfavourably disposed to the Scotos family, is shown by the fact that he offered to deal with Col. Donald, but the latter was too chivalrous, and would not supersede his nephew.

Eneas Ranald, on his retirement from India, took up his residence at Cheltenham, and lived just long enough to become Chief of Glengarry, on the death of Charles Macdonell, last male descendant of Alastair Dubh, on 28th June, 1868. Eneas Ranald died 24th October of that year. By his marriage with the daughter of Archdeacon Wade, he had, with other issue, Eneas Ranald, born 1847, who predeceased his father, leaving a son Eneas Ranald, now Chief of Glengarry, whose personal qualifications in every respect worthily sustain the best traditions of the race of Mac-Mhic-Alastair.

I use the spelling of "Scotos" as it is commonly done, although of old it was written "Scothouse." "The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong," yet to the heir or heirs of Mac-Mhic-Alastair the object of winning back not only Scotos but Glengarry intact; the revivication, not only in name but in reality, of a family renowned in poetry and song, which, though it committed errors, still was known and respected for hundreds of years, and which has made its mark in the history of the Highlands, is worthy, not merely the struggle of one life, but whatever number of lives may be necessary to ensure ultimate fulfilment. In this pursuit, let him and them have and hold as sure an aim as that predecessor of whom it was written

"'Nuair a ruigeadh do luaidhe

Cha gluaiseadh iad eang."

12th FEBRUARY, 1890.

The paper for this evening's meeting was by the Rev. John Macrury, Snizort, entitled "Old Gaelic Songs with Historical Notes and Traditions." Mr Macrury's paper was as follows :—

OLD GAELIC SONGS WITH HISTORICAL NOTES AND TRADITIONS.

A Luchd-Comuinn mo Ruin,-Tha eagal orm gu bheil cuid dhibh nach bi ro thoilichte leis na briathran a leughar dhuibh a nochd. Ach faodaidh sibh mo chreidsinn an uair a their mi gu'n d' rinn mise mo dhichioll a chum gu'n cuirinn sios mo chuid fhein de na briathran―'s e sin, gearr-chunntas a thoirt dhuibh mu na h-orain-cho math, 's cho soilleir 's a b'urrainn domh. Labhraidh na h-orain air an son fhein. Tha iad mar a fhuair mise iad. Tha fhios agam gu bheil ceathrannan a dhith gach fir dhiubh ach a' cheud fhear, "Oran Fir Airidh 'Mhuillinn." Thug mi dhuibh na blaidhean an dochus gu faod aon de bhuill a' Chomuinn cuid de na ceathrannan a tha dhith orra fhaotainn uair no uair eiginn. Nam biodh duine ann a shireadh air an son is e mo bharail gu faighte iad anns an Eilean Fhada.

Tha ni eile a dhith oirnn nach b'urrainn mise fhaotainn, 's e sin, ainmean nan daoine a rinn na h-orain. Ach an rud nach gabh leasachadh feumar cur leis. Faodaidh e bhith gu faighear fhathast a mach co a sgriobh cuid diubh.

ORAN FIR AIRIDH MHUILLINN,

AN UIBHIST A' CHINN A DEAS;

ATHAIR FIONNAGHAL DHOMNULLAICH A DH'FHALBH LEIS A' PHRIONNSA.

Slan iomradh do 'n mharcach

A chunnaic mi seachad an dé,

Mac ud Aonghais oig bheachdaidh,

Cha b'e 'n t-iomrall leam tachairt riut fhein;

Fear gun iomlas1 na aigneadh,

Bha gu siobhalta, staideil, an ceill;

Aig a' mheud 's a tha thlachd ort,

Cha d' fhuaras dhuit masladh no beum.

1 "Fear gun iomlas," duine steidheil nach bi 'g atharrachadh inntinn tric -"Fear a gheibh sinn far am fag sinne e." Cha chuimhne leam riamh am facal so a chluinntinn ann an comhradh. Is e theireamaid mu dhuine neosteidheil, a bhiodh an diugh a dh' aon bheachd, 's a maireach de bheachd eile, gur duine iomlan a bh' ann. Anns a' Bhiobull tha 'm facal iomlan, a' ciallachadh coimhlionta; ach, mar a dh'ainmich mi, tha e gus an la 'n diugh anns an Eilean Fhada, co dhiubh, a' ciallachadh, caochlaideach.

Slan o chunnart sud dhasan,

Cha teid duine 'ga aicheadh nach fior,
O 'n 's i 'n fhirinn a b' fhearr leat-

'S i so 'n acuinn a ghnathaich thu riamh;
Mheud 's a fhuair mi dhe d' choiread,

Ann an comain an eolais nach b' fhiach;
Ni mi 'n uiread s' ad chomhnadh,

Fhad 's is urrainn do m' chota ga dhiol.

Geibhte sud am beul feasgair,

Ann ad' fhardaich-sa beadradh is muirn,
Buird mhora 'g an leagadh,

Is an uirneis bu deis' as an cionn ;
Bhiodh na deochannan brasa,

Ga'm brosnachadh seachad air thùs;
Anns na cupannan breaca,

'S fir oga 'gan aiseag gu dluth.

Gheibhte sud ann a d' fhardaich

Ceol fidhl' agus danns 'cur leis,
Taigh nan uinneagan claraidh,

Far am faigheadh na h-anraidhean1 meas;
Dhomhsa b' fhurasda radha ;

Gu'm b'e sud mo cheol-gaire car greis,
Cha bhiodh cuideachd mar dhaimh ort,
Bhiodh tu fhein 'na d' cheol-gaire 'na measg.

'S mor do bhiuthas2 aig Gallaibh,

'N nair a bhiodh iad air allaban cian ;

Meud do mhuirn 'na do bhaile,

'S cha bu chuirt leat bhith malairt am bidh;

'S tric a thug thu uait deannal,

Fhir nach sgrubail a shealladh am prib,3

'S mò do dhuil ann an onair

Na bonn dhe 'bhith 'd sporran 'ga dhiol.

1 "Anraidhean," 's e sin coigrich a thigeadh fliuch, fuar, sgith, acrach, a dh' ionnsuidh an taighe.

2 "Bhiuthas," 's e sin, deagh ainm a chluinnear fada is farsuinn.

3" Prib," 's e sin, fiachan. Is minic a chuala mi fear ag radh gu robh e togail "pribidean fhiach."

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